


This World

by lapinprince



Series: Boldfaced [2]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Ending, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Established Relationship, M/M, Post-Endgame, Slow Dancing, references to other media
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-16
Updated: 2017-10-16
Packaged: 2019-01-18 00:48:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12377520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lapinprince/pseuds/lapinprince
Summary: One day years after their Phantom Thieves days are over, Goro comes home to a dark apartment lit with candles, soft music, and Akira standing in the room, smiling.An epilogue toFalse Fervor.





	This World

**Author's Note:**

> this started off as me trying to write an idea of some friends and ended up with finding a perfect way to do an epilogue for false fervor. ive been trying to think of something to do for it for a while so this is a good opportunity! this fic can serve as a standalone as well but its meant to be an epilogue. it takes place about 5 years after the last chapter of false fervor! theres a potential for me to continue this but i have no idea where id take it so we will see.
> 
> but anyway. will i ever stop writing dancing fics? i gotta use my dance background somehow huh? 
> 
> hope you enjoy! as always you can find me at @[laprincenico](https://twitter.com/laprincenico) on twitter.
> 
> \- ♔

It was predictably dark outside, well into the evening when Goro finished his work and began his commute home. While he was used to such a routine, as the days grew shorter and colder he couldn’t exactly be pleased with the puffy clouds of warm air that were starting to form whenever he exhaled. He quickly made his way home, looking forward to sitting in front of the fireplace with a cup of tea and Akira, catching up on the day’s events. Even the thought of his boyfriend made his fingers tingle under his leather gloves, despite them having been together for quite a few years now. It wasn’t a bad feeling by far, just a simple picturesque life that he never thought he’d have.

The apartment building hallways were as dark as always as he climbed up the stairs, the slight smile not quite gone off his face. He fumbled with his keys as he approached the door to his and Akira’s apartment, unlocking it and taking a step inside. The interior of his home was as dark as it was outside- was Akira out?

“Akira?” Goro called, entering and closing the door behind him. His eyes adjusted to the dark, realizing that the living room glowed softly with a faint and warm light. Did Akira leave a lamp on by accident? Leaving his briefcase and his jacket by the door and pulling his shoes off, he went towards the room to investigate the source of the light. As he grew closer, he heard a [faint, familiar melody](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lbhluK98-E) coming from the living room as well. 

“...Akira?” Goro said again, brows furrowed in confusion. He rounded the corner and came face to face with Akira, nearly bumping into him.

“Yes?” Akira replied casually, a grin on his face. Goro’s gaze trailed from Akira’s face down his body, realizing that his boyfriend was dressed unusually formally for a typical Thursday evening. 

“What’s… going on?” Goro asked, taking in the sight of Akira’s attire. He wore a crisp white dress shirt buttoned up with a dark red tie, a grey and black panelled vest on top. Goro couldn’t tell the exact shape of the black dress pants he also wore, and with a closer look the detective saw black boots rather than the expected dress shoes. His glasses were nowhere in sight, and the whole look looked dangerously close to the handsome phantom thief outfit that Akira wore years ago. 

“Eyes up here, darling,” Akira said softly, the grin quickly changing into a rather wicked smirk. Goro flushed slightly, looking up again and realizing that Akira’s boots were making him at least a few inches taller, easily passing Goro’s height.

“Akira, what is this-” Goro repeated, the music that was playing quickening into a waltz like tune. Akira’s hands reached forward and pulled Goro into a social dance position, a hand at his waist and his other clasped with Goro’s gloved hand. It was clear that Akira was in no mood to explain the music, the soft lighting from the candles scattered around the room, his formalwear nor all the furniture pushed back to create a sizeable dancefloor. He sighed internally and followed Akira’s lead, catching up with his steps.

Once Akira was satisfied that his boyfriend was following along with his simple waltz, he began to turn them both to travel across the room in gliding steps. If Goro closed his eyes, he could visualize a grand ballroom with an enormous chandelier, a strings group playing a longing melody, but only he and Akira dancing in the empty golden palace. He could almost imagine an intricate dress hanging from his waist too, twirling as he moved- or was Akira wearing it? As the music swelled, plumes of blue black feathers entered his vision, spilling from whatever was previously hanging from his waist and scattering onto the floor, and Goro’s eyes snapped open.

“This song is from _Howl’s Moving Castle_ ,” Goro whispered. Akira chuckled softly, letting go of Goro’s waist to twirl him once before pulling him back into position and continuing to sway. 

“I’m glad you recognized it,” Akira said, humming wistfully. “It’s kind of like us, huh?” Goro raised an eyebrow.

“What do you mean, like us?” 

“Like, since Sophie was in love with Howl and kept trying to help him despite Howl kind of pushing her away-”

Goro squeezed Akira’s hand tightly. “Akira, are you saying that you’re Sophie and I would be Howl?” 

“Well, she doesn’t really leave him alone until he has a change of heart, huh?” Akira laughed teasingly. He pulled Goro closer to him, their travelling steps slowing to a sway back and forth.

“That means you think I was heartless-!” Goro sputtered, feebly pushing away. Akira laughed louder, tugging Goro even closer and wrapping him in a close hug. He kissed his boyfriend’s forehead and rested his chin on his shoulder. 

“It’s not a perfect analogy,” he replied, nose nuzzling Goro’s neck. 

“You didn’t answer my question,” Goro sighed, leaning his head to rest on Akira’s. The music from the Ghibli movie slowed to an end, and the couple held each other in silence until the next song began.

[The sound of an unmistakable piano melody began.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdEy1m6vtsM) The two started to sway again, not necessarily matching the rhythm of the music, and they wordlessly held each other tightly as they let the music carry them.

After a long while, Akira lifted his head. “Wouldn’t that be-” 

“You’d be Mitsuha because I’m from the city,” Goro interrupted. He snickered softly at Akira’s surprise.

“Really? So I’d fuck up your life, and you’d make my life better?” he retorted, falling quiet soon after, Goro’s laughter continuing. “Wait, don’t answer that--” Akira hesitantly let go of Goro, but he wouldn’t budge and held Akira even closer.

“It’s fine. I’d rather not think about that sort of thing, anyway,” Goro said, pulling his head back, reddish brown eyes meeting steel grey. Akira’s brow furrowed slightly, unsure of what Goro meant by that. As he opened his mouth in response, Goro continued. 

“First, _Kimi no na wa_ is… well… it takes a long time to become a happy ending.” Goro glanced away from Akira’s face, taking a small breath. “I wouldn’t have been able to disappear for… that long. Not for that many years.” Akira could catch by the glow of the candles that Goro’s face was flushed. He could imagine the gears turning in Goro’s head as he thought about what he wanted to say next, and so he patiently waited with a fond look on his face.

“Second, I just…” It was obvious that Goro was also getting distracted from the lyrics of the song playing. “I want to focus on us, not… not us in other worlds, even though it’s just for fun--” The words caught in Goro’s throat as he anxiously tried to say the right thing. It dawned upon him at that moment that he was getting rather worked up considering how Akira was only imagining how their lives would have played in other stories. He had no reason to be panicked as it did not change what their lives were now, but at the same time…

“I think that… what we went through changed us a lot… but into who we are now,” he said quietly, the music starting to slow to a finish. “It’s more important for us to focus on us in this world, right now.” A kind, somewhat nervous smile emerged on Akira’s face. [Another song began to play](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suOoYogz_f0), soft and slow with a contrast to the previous two.

“Well, I thought you’d never ask,” he said mysteriously, letting go of Goro and reaching into his pocket. Keeping eye contact with his increasingly confused boyfriend, he pulled a small jewelry box out and he stepped back, sinking to one knee. 

“No-” Goro blurted when he realized what Akira was doing, quickly covering his mouth right after. “Sorry, I-” 

“You can’t say no before I even ask, Goro,” Akira laughed, the blunder seemingly lifting his own anxiety about this. The candles, the dancing, the music, everything was planned to lead up to this single moment that made Akira want to combust with every emotion he was capable of. He opened the box, a pair of silver bands inside, holding it open to Goro.

“Akechi Goro-- will you ma-”

“Yes.”

“I didn’t finish asking yet!” Akira whined. Goro’s face was an extremely concerning beet red, his shoulders shaking.

“You don’t need to,” Goro mumbled, pulling his gloves off and letting them drop to the ground.

“What, are you challenging me to a duel now?” Akira asked with puffed cheeks, glancing pointedly at the gloves. 

“What-?! Akira, just put the ring on me!” Goro sputtered, shoving his left hand out towards his boyfriend.

“Do I have to beat you in a duel to marry you?” Akira asked very seriously.

“You can’t put a ring on top of a glove, Akira!” 

Akira laughed, taking one of the rings and slipping it onto the ring finger of Goro’s left hand. He offered Goro the box to do the same for Akira’s hand, and once the little ritual was complete Akira stood up and pulled Goro into a long, sweet kiss. 

“I’m glad,” he said, throwing his hands over Goro’s shoulders and starting their slow sway again to the new song. 

“Glad about what? Did you think I’d say no or something?” Goro asked, raising an eyebrow. He put his hands on Akira’s waist and continued to follow along.

“Well, you never know… you _are_ more married to your work these days after all…” Akira said dramatically, tilting his head back in faux agony. Goro rolled his eyes.

“Oh my god, I’m going to strangle you.”

“There’s the asphyxiation thing again. Makes me think we should actually try it out- ow!”  
Goro returned his hand to Akira’s waist after thwacking him upside the head, a small smile on his face. Getting married to this one wouldn’t be so bad, especially after enduring so many years of his antics already. He closed his eyes, letting himself get lost in the music again.

“I’m glad…” he whispered. The newly engaged couple continued their slow dance for quite some time, the candles burning out one by one, careful steps turning across the floor.

* * *

_how i hope to have forever to spend  
this life, no—all future lives  
right here in **this world** with you_

**Author's Note:**

> the lyrics and the title came from the song sparkle from kimi no na wa
> 
> oh and they do end up trying it out


End file.
